Managing the Maasai Mara – No Water No Life

Interviewee

Michael Wamithi

Exec. Dir. of Kenya Wildlife Trust; former Dir. of Kenya Wildlife Services; former Dir. of IFAW for Mombasa Marine NP & NFD; former KWS Dir. of Tsavo, Nairobi & Amboseli National Parks

Interviewers

Alison M. Jones

NWNL Director and Photographer

Alison M. Fast

Videographer

In Nairobi, Kenya on October 8, 2009

Introductory Note

Michael Wamithi has worn many hats in Kenya’s conservation circles. In 2000, when I was involved in the formation and launch of the Mara Conservancy, I met Michael when Director of IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare). His strong background and clear thinking reassured many of us involved in implementing the new Mara Conservancy Management Plan in its challenging stages of development.

Kenya is fortunate to have this conservationist at the helm of KWS, defining issues and using both his background and his foresight to win approval for better management of the world-renowned Greater Maasai Mara. In that role, and in promoting the Mara Conservancy model, he also served as a steward for the Mara River hat flows though the Maasai Mara en route to Lake Victoria.

Outline

PROFILE of a CONSERVATIONIST
IMPACTS in KENYA of WATER AVAILABILITY
KENYA’S NEEDS for CONSERVATION EFFORTS
THE MARA CONSERVANCY AS A MODEL
UNIQUE ISSUES in the GREATER MAASAI MARA
A FAILURE KENYA CAN’T AFFORD
CHALLENGES to MANAGING KENYA’s RESERVES
A GREATER MARA MANAGEMENT PLAN

Key Quote Having been KWS Director and a KWS officer for many years, I know taking over the management of the Greater Maasai Mara straightaway is a political risk that must be taken. The Mara Conservancy – Kenya’s “jewel of conservation” – has provided the model and demands Kenya Wildlife Service take responsibility for all other National Reserves in Kenya. That is a direct challenge to the Kenya Wildlife Service. – Michael Wamithi

PROFILE of a CONSERVATIONIST

NWNL Michael, we met several years ago here in Nairobi during your 10-year tenure for the International Fund for Animal Welfare / IFAW. Now you are now Executive Director for Kenya Wildlife Trust/ KWT. Certainly an interesting career path! How has your past affected your management concepts and decisions to be made today for KWT?

MICHAEL WAMITHI I am still on IFAW’s “Panel of Experts,” so I am available for them in case they need my advice on any issue. Before joining IFAW in 2000, I worked for Kenya Wildlife Service/ KWS for 15 years, starting straight from college as Front Office Assistant and working up to Assistant Director. Previously, I worked for 3 years for the Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve on the Indian Ocean coast. Then I went to Tsavo National Park for 3 years. After that, I went to Kenya’s Northern District.

After those positions, I was called to the KWS to start its Operations Department just after Dr. Richard Leaky joined KWS in 1989. Dr. Leaky was setting up systems – so, having come from the field, I was asked to beef up KWS Security Department. I did so until 1996, when I became Nairobi National Park Warden for 1 year, and then Amboseli National Park Warden for another year. In 2002 or 2003, I was KWS Director for a year. Then I returned to IFAW.

Given those experiences, I feel what I bring to Kenya Wildlife Trust will support conservation. Additionally, I’m still interested to see what is happening with Kenya Wildlife Service and in our National Parks and National Reserves.

IMPACTS in KENYA of WATER AVAILABILITY

NWNL How do you now assess the value and current protection of Kenya’s water resources — particularly that of the Mara River, as it pertains to local wildlife, Kenya and the world?

MICHAEL WAMITHI Briefly – you can’t have wildlife without water; because, like humans, animals need water to be alive. The biology of animals is such that 90% or more of their body is water. So, wildlife – like people — need water. Thus, I think if you remove water from our natural systems, life will cease to exist.

When you go to specific areas, you’ll see some specific species are more dependent on water than others. Species highly dependent on water here are buffalo and elephants. If there’s no water, those most dependent will be the first to go extinct – or, at least, they will drop drastically in numbers, therefore threatening the viability of those populations.

In the Maasai Mara, the Mara River is crucial because it is a main water source for wildlife. The Mara River flows from water catchment areas, particularly from within the Mau Forest catchment. Human activities in those catchment areas thus have a big effect on the availability of water for wildlife downstream.

Both nationally – and maybe globally – recent events show that people – or communities – will fight over water, especially as less and less water is available for humans and livestock, on which they are highly dependent, especially among the pastoralist communities. If there is less water than the communities demand, people will fight over water. Today, water tables can dry up, thus affecting otherwise-stable communities.

Water is now more critical because Kenya hasn’t received good rains for the last 3 years, with most of the arid areas more affected than others. So, the pastoralists have taken a bigger hit than most other communities in areas with higher rain potential. In recent months, in northern Kenya for example, we have seen communities killing each other with guns and other weapons as they compete for remaining amounts of water.

So, as we consider the impact of humans on critical water catchments, it has become even more important in recent months to think about global climate change. Apart from the concern of people living in critical catchments, an ever-present uncertainty is evolving because of global climate change.

For example, we can’t explain why we haven’t had good rains in East Africa the last 3 years. Maybe it’s global climate change. I know we have cycles of drought and good rains every 10-15 years; but I believe we need more information to see how that plays out with global climate change. Given the double effects of normal cyclical drought seasons and global warming, our droughts will be even more severe than they were previously, or that cycle could get completely disrupted.

So, we need to think about those two issues. Apart from wildlife and the effect drought is having on people, I think we need to take a global look at water, as it is a very important factor for our survival.

NWNL So you contend that, beyond impacts on farmers and livestock owners, a lack of water also raises conflict and tribal tension in Kenya when water resources dwindle? Indeed, there seems to be a global concern that not only wildlife is affected by less available water. In Kenya, we hear t ethnic conflicts are threatening political instability in Kenya. This will affect everyone eventually – it seems to be a global threat.

MICHAEL WAMITHI Yes, in Kenya – even East Africa generally – in the past year or so, communities have been rising up with arms to fight each other over water resources. Many deaths have occurred. People now fight with automatic rifles more than traditional spears and arrows. If you extrapolate this across regions, you can see that availability of water has human impacts in critical catchment areas and in the ways the water is shared. Global climate change thus may have a big effect on regional or global peace, stemming from water conflicts between communities.

NWNL Certainly, NWNL has seen that local conflicts over resources can expand into regional conflicts and even disturb global peace.

MICHAEL WAMITHI Yes, Kenya has the potential for local conflicts spilling into bigger cycles of regional and global conflicts – and thus a national loss of peace.

KENYA’S NEEDS for CONSERVATION EFFORTS

NWNL To us, conflicts over water availability highlight the very critical and universal value of water within our river basins – but there are other such threats. We’ve touched on climate change. What other issues do you face here in Kenya? Perhaps over-extraction of water, deforestation….? What issues do you see affecting the Mara River Rasin?

MICHAEL WAMITHI The Mara River Basin has a combination of many issues. The first is the destruction of its water catchment, especially the deforestation of the Mau Forest Ridge – the source of the Mara River. The second issue is over-extraction of water. There are now farms in this river basin that require irrigation, so significant amounts of water are being extracted from the Mara River. Thus, by the time the Mara River flows through Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, there’s only a trickle flowing into Lake Victoria.

So, Mara River Basin’s main threat is water overuse I have become very passionate about this watershed, but to address its issues represents a big political risk. Yet, it is my responsibility as KWS Director to oversee water usage for both National Parks and National Reserves. The law puts responsibility for protection of animals in National Parks and National Reserves on the Director of the Kenya Wildlife Service/KWS. That’s the law.

If the KWS Director wants to intervene, he faces political issues. Counselors will make noise, start politicking and say he is not a good KWS Director. They will want him to be sacked. That’s the risk.

As KWS Director, I can relax if nothing major is at risk; and I can say, “Okay, it’s not a fight worth fighting.” But in the Maasai Mara today, I see a drastic reduction of animal numbers in absolute terms. Except for the wildebeest, the numbers of animals there are very low. There has been a reduction over the last 10 years of 60-80% percent of giraffes, buffalo and the medium-to-large-size mammals. It’s a drastic reduction of mammals.

We also face human insecurity. People’s lives are at risk. We need conservation in Kenya; and better-managed development of lodges and hotels. There are many vehicles now in the Maasai Mara creating significant impacts on the habitat.

We need to act if we are to prevent the Maasai Mara from going down the drain. At what stage do we say, “Now!” I think this is the time. We shouldn’t have to wait for more drastic impacts to occur. It is time for me, as the Kenya Wildlife Service’s Director, to take responsibility.

THE MARA CONSERVANCY AS A MODEL

NWNL On this NWNL expedition, we’ve seen that the Mara Triangle is very well managed. What improvements do you envision vis a vis management for the other side of the Maasai Mara? Is the Mara Conservancy a model? It seems its management approach addresses critical issues with great success.

MICHAEL WAMITHI Well, first, if underlying issues are not discussed, there’ll be no solutions nor any discussion of the Mara Conservancy as a model. In 2001-2002 [when the Mara Conservancy was launched] issues of deforestation and low water flows from the Mau Forest were starting to fester. I, among others, came out and talked about the Mau Forest. We talked with the Minister and produced a documentary. I made political statements about the Minister’s lack of action on this thing.

Sometimes, people must initiate pressure to act on members of the government or other stakeholders. Unless people in conservation discuss what is wrong, then no one will think anything is wrong. If no one in conservation speaks up, then nothing will be seen as wrong.

There’s been a lot of frustration about the Maasai Mara. But until discussion hits the table, nothing will happen. The Mara Conservancy started in 2002, and now we are almost 7 years down the line. Maybe now we can do something to help the Maasai Mara. But this government moves slowly. If we don’t say we need changes now, then it will take 9 more years. So, I think the time is now to start the discussion.

NWNL Brian Heath’s 10-year plan for the Mara Conservancy has solidified leadership for conservation in the Mara Triangle, yet it seems the Maasai Mara National Reserve still faces critical management issues. What is not being discussed that should be – either by government or KWS? Why isn’t there more talk about the government ignoring its role, or suggestions that KWS provide serious leadership and protocols in lieu of what Americans would call a “do-nothing government??

MICHAEL WAMITHI Outside the model of the Mara Triangle’s new Conservancy, the big challenge is management. For many years now, the Greater Maasai Mara has been badly managed. But now a Proposed Management Plan has been developed by many experts who’ve studied the Greater Mara’s management of tourism, biodiversity and other issues.

As KWS Director and a KWS officer for many years, I know taking over the management of the Greater Maasai Mara straightaway is a political risk that must be taken. The Mara Conservancy – Kenya’s “jewel of conservation” – has provided the model we need, so now KWS must take responsibility for all other National Reserves in Kenya. This is a direct challenge to KWS.

UNIQUE ISSUES in the GREATER MAASAI MARA

NWNL Beyond the Mara Triangle, what are the critical challenges to be addressed?

MICHAEL WAMITHI Current challenges are:

– incompetence

– political interference, and

– a lack of plans for the Greater Maasai Mara area, which is a national problem.

Basically, the country doesn’t have a policy plan. That affects the Maasai Mara. Its Narok County Council has not used good management principles in focusing on the Maasai Mara.

We’ve talked about this for many years – but we must now do more than just talking. It’s time now for KWS to decisively take the bold step to manage the Maasai Mara and implement a new management plan for all its issues.

There exists a big plan that covers the Maasai Mara Reserve beyond the Mara Triangle and outside protected-area boundaries. So, it covers the Mara River’s tributaries outside the Maasai Mara Reserve, the lower slopes of the Mau, Forest, and the Greater Maasai Mara’s lower plains and its wider area. That is what we should be going for! We must secure the Maasai Mara Natural Reserve itself, as well as its existing wider ecosystem.

A FAILURE KENYA CAN’T AFFORD

NWNL What will happen if this management plan is not implemented – if KWS does not follow your leadership and act on your recommendations? What will happen locally? What will happen nationally to Kenya’s income and stability? And even more broadly, why should the rest of the world care?

MICHAEL WAMITHI If KWS fails to take on its responsibility to implement a new Maasai Mara Management Plan, we’ll lose that jewel and the conservation values and reputation for which Kenya is known for globally. We will also lose very valuable animal populations, including the well-known wildebeest migrations. Also, we’ll lose the opportunity to demonstrate how the Mara Conservancy’s management model can be applied to all of Kenya’s National Reserves.

NWNL If Kenya’s renowned National Reserves fail, what happens to Kenya’s financial stability, since the country depends heavily on its tourism income?

MICHAEL WAMITHI If mismanagement of the Maasai Mara and Kenya’s other National Reserves continues, or fails to be addressed, we will see a drastic drop in the tourism earnings on which Kenya highly depends. Tourism supports much of our local employment. If we lose our National Reserves, we will see more poverty in Kenya – something that we all want to avoid.

CHALLENGES to MANAGING KENYA’s RESERVES

NWNL If KWS were to take over the Greater Mara, would it also take over the Mara Conservancy? If so, what would happen to Brian Heath’s position and the Conservancy’s Management Plan?

MICHAEL WAMITHI That’s not a problem. If the KWS takes over, per the law, they’ll manage our national parks and national reserves. Now we have 2 management areas for the Maasai Mara – the Mara Triangle and the Narok side of the Mara. KWS would only take over the management of the Narok Mara.

I am concerned that one Maasai Mara politician has requested that KWS take over the Mara Triangle. Yet conservationist Alan Earnshaw says it could be positive, as it would offer an entry point to take over the rest of the Mara. I’ve said was a bad idea. Currently, tourism money the Mara Conservancy gains has been given to the local Maasai communities. That gives the Conservancy its stability. Tourism is not for the politicians to grab for their own political purposes. Yet if KWS gets management control of the Mara, such politicians could gain control.

The best way to protect income distribution is to keep the Mara Conservancy as it is. Then we can campaign for KWS to take over the Narok side of the Mara National Reserve. The risk is then mitigated. Some things must be done carefully. If done “willy nilly,” we will miss the theme.

NWNL What do you see as immediate benefits to KWS managing the Mara?

MICHAEL WAMITHI KWS will prevent killing and theft on local properties and reduce corruption. Politicians won’t take money, as they do now. KWS will manage traffic in the park and people will obey regulations. KWS can do that. But, indeed, there will be a problem if politicians take out a lot of the tourism income money. Politicians would easily say to people, “No, no, no, KWS is taking all the money.”

NWNL Michael, you face many complex political obstacles to establishing a new management plan for the Mara. Do local communities view KWS with suspicion?

MICHAEL WAMITHI As Director, I will need to tell people how we will create the Mara as a national project. Managing the Mara is a national problem that KWS will undertake; but KWS will not take any money out of the Maasai Mara. That’s what Mara Conservancy set up, and that’s what the KWS Director must also do to gain confidence from the people.

A GREATER MARA MANAGEMENT PLAN

NWNL In promoting the Management Plan, it seems you must face the grassroots community’s suspicions about KWS intentions to take money out of the Mara.

MICHAEL WAMITHI Yes, there exists a perception within the grassroots community that KWS will take away the tourism income from communities that were earning money from the National Reserve. So, the KWS manager will need to convince the community that he will not take more tourism money than it takes to manage the Maasai Mara.

NWNL Ah – just as Brian Heath has done so successfully in the Mara Conservancy.

Is that guarantee stated within the Management Plan?

MICHAEL WAMITHI Yes, implementation of that part of the Management Plan is crucial to the success of this move. It is what establishes how Maasai Mara will be managed.

We now have the money to technically draw up this Management Plan. We’ll move forward out of that framework by saying:

We think the best entity to implement this Management Plan is either the Mara Conservancy or the Kenya Wildlife Service. Because the Mara Conservancy has demonstrated it can run the Mara Triangle well, we think it will work if they also run the Maasai Mara.

But others proposing this implementation are offering another option that establishes KWS as manager. So, there are two proposals on how this new Ten-Year Management Plan would be implemented.

NWNL Does that Management Plan also state that a certain amount of tourism income must be turned over for management of the Reserve? Are there protective guidelines for reinvesting a percentage of tourism income into the infrastructure and management of the Reserve by which any future manager must abide?

MICHAEL WAMITHI Yes, the plan stipulates that. It recommends a certain amount of money is needed to properly run this Reserve – and we expect that amount of money will be earned. Therefore, after needed payments for good management, we expect the remainder of money will go to communities.

NWNL So, KWS would be bound by that Management Plan to leave a certain percentage or amount in place, and definitely not into a central KWS office or to another reserve managed by KWS.

MICHAEL WAMITHI It’s not a legally binding document. We looked for a way to make it so. but there’s no such legal provision or mandate for gazettement of Management Plans of National Parks and National Reserves. KWS can implement any management plan without requiring any other legal enforcement because the law grants KWS a mandate to responsibly run all National Parks and National Reserves. A management plan is all the law that is required. It’s both a tool and a scientific approach to management.

NWNL To conclude this inspiring discussion, how best can you emphasize the importance of Kenya’s finding the political will to manage its amazing natural resources?

MICHAEL WAMITHI Simply, it is essential that Kenya’s government and all its other agencies and institutions like KWS, find the political will to manage Kenya’s natural resources. Alison, I hope this discussion helps inspire your audience.

NWNL Michael, it is always helpful to hear your insightful vision for Kenya and the Maasai Mara. Thank you for your time and best wishes for your success.

Posted by NWNL on August 2, 2024.
Transcription edited and condensed for clarity by Alison M. Jones.

Managing the Maasai Mara Mara River Basin